Saturday, July 7, 2012

I love the concept of monthly beauty packages, mostly for the surprise element and not out of any particular need to test products to fill holes in my daily routine (I'm happy with my regular products, but always willing to give new samples a shot!). Embarrassingly enough, my current subscription number stands at 5! In an attempt to streamline and cut out unnecessary/uninspiring/not cost-effective subscriptions, I'm hoping to review some of my monthly boxes.

The packaging is a sleek black heavy cardboard, with the samples nestled in standard black crinkly paper shreds. Also included but not pictured is a booklet of beauty tips and tricks. These are actually pretty neat as they aren't specific to the products in the box, so you can carry the tips to your own stash. The downside is that there is no written list of products in the box; while many of the samples are self-explanatory, it would perhaps be useful to have a description of the Sisley cream (is it undereye? Is it for your face?).

The lip liner seems nice - it applied smoothly with no tugging and was quite pigmented. I don't often wear lip liners but I'll gladly keep this in my stash for a special night out, and from what I know Vincent Longo is a solid brand. The jouer tint is a pretty good match for my skin tone and, as a bonus, has SPF 20. I love the fresh, glowy tinge it has to it, and I'm excited to try it out! I'll probably keep the Borghese cream in my bag or at work, and I'm sure I'll eventually use it up - I love getting these travel-sized moisturizers to keep around. The Sisley anti-aging cream I'm not too interested in and will most likely give to my mother. Still, a decent variety of samples were included in this box.

Also included is a $15 off gift code when you spend at least $50 on the Beauty Bar website, BUT you have to be purchasing at least one item from one of the BRANDS in your box (it doesn't have to be exact item in your box, though).

Here is a list of this month's products, along with size and value:
Sisley Paris Hydra-Global Intense Anti-Aging Hydration: Full-size 1.4 oz. sells for $250.00; the sample contains 0.14 oz, making it worth $25.00.

Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil in Sangria and White Glimmer: This is a full-size product at 0.06 oz., which retails for $26.00.

Borghese Tono Body Creme: Full size is 7 oz. and retails for about $46.50. The sample is 1 oz. and worth $6.64.

jouer Illuminizing moisture tint in Pearl: The full size is 1.7 oz. at $38.00. The sample is 0.17 oz., which is worth $3.80.

Total value: $61.44

This is a pretty good selection and value for the $15 per month cost. I'm trying to get rid of some of my subscriptions, however, and while this Allure box is good, I'm not wholly convinced to subscribe long term. I will probably give this box another two months before making any decisions, but I don't regret my purchase and will definitely try most of the samples I received!

The Allure Beauty Bar Sample Society box costs $15 per month and may be purchased here.